Refraction
by Nostalgic Beauty
Summary: When a prism is placed in the path of a beam of light, the light bends. When Kenshin turns out to be far from the man of Kaoru's dreams, everything changes. Gender Bender. Kenshin/Kaoru friendship


AN: This is probably going to be my one and only author's note, so read well. Be warned, I'm going to skip ahead a lot with this story. I'm not going to re-write the entire series of Rurouni Kenshin. More often than not I'll write a few sentences to give you a reference place, but I'm mostly going to rely on your familiarity with the series to take care of all of the details I'm going to leave out story-wise. The purpose of this story is to explore how the series would have been different if Kenshin were a slightly different person. Naturally, a lot of things will be the same as the original storyline, so I'll be skipping ahead passed parts that are the same, rather than boring you by re-writing scenes you already know.

In other words, if you have never read the Rurouni Kenshin manga, you probably won't be able to follow and enjoy this fic as much. Sorry! As for everyone else, enjoy!

* * *

During the upheaval of the Bakumatsu, a man known as Hitokiri Battosai emerged in Kyoto. As one of the most important Hitokiris of the time, his sword paved the way for the Meiji Era. However at the conclusion of the bloodshed he disappeared. With the passage of time, he became known as a legend. And so our story begins in the eleventh year of the Meiji Era in Tokyo. — Paraphrased Quote from Chapter 1 of Rurouni Kenshin

**Chapter 1: Hitokiri Battosai**

The streets of Tokyo were silent as Kamiya Kaoru made her way through the night, alert for any sense of disturbance. It had only been a day since Hitokiri Battosai had last killed, and Kaoru was positive that the man was still somewhere in the city. There! A flash of red caught the edge of Kaoru's vision and she turned to see a figure walking down the main road. His long, red hair caught the light from the windows, but Kaoru's eyes were drawn to the sword being openly displayed at his hip. Only the Battosai would dare to wear his katana so openly after the government declared swords illegal! Without another thought, Kaoru charged in. Announcing herself with a yell of "Hitokiri Battosai your reign of terror ends now," she swung her bokken with all of the strength and skill she had accumulated over her many years of study. She missed.

Stumbling and off balance from the unexpected lack of resistance, Kaoru recovered and whirled around to attack again, only to once again meet empty air. After a few more unsuccessful attacks, Kaoru withdrew into a defensive position. Panting and steaming with frustration, she bit out, "Stop messing around and fight me! Or can you only kill people who can't fight back?" She lunged again, only to have her bokken plucked out of her hands and her butt planted on the floor faster than she could blink. Dread lodged itself into her gut like an icy splinter. She should have known better than to take on the infamous Hitokiri by herself, and now she was going to pay for her recklessness with her life. She closed her eyes in anticipation for the death blow when a soft voice spoke above her, "I'm sorry miss, but I don't know you. I believe you have mistaken me for someone else."

Kaoru's eyes popped open, and she blinked up at the swordsman in surprise. Getting a good look at his features for the first time, Kaoru started to feel embarrassed for her thoughtless assumptions. The man looked more like a boy around her age, and not much taller than her. His thick mane of red hair fell into a face with surprisingly soft features. If it weren't for the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek and his wary eyes, Kaoru would have mistaken him for a woman. Pushing aside her embarrassment, Kaoru leaped to her feet and declared, "No we have never met, but you have been terrorizing my city, and I have vowed to put an end to the bloodshed done in my family's name!" She eyed the bokken held loosely in the man's left hand, and thought, briefly about lunging for it, only to be surprised by the swordsman holding it out to her, handle first.

"As I just said, you are mistaken. I am simply a Rurouni who just wandered into town tonight. I don't know anything about any bloodshed," he said gently.

Kaoru stared at the bokken in shock for a moment, before snatching it out of the man's hand and brandishing it at him rudely. "If you really aren't the Hitokiri then why are you wearing a sword in plain sight? Swordsmen are forbidden to carry real swords!" she said. The man looked surprised for a moment and glanced at the sword at his hip as if he had forgotten it was there. The man's eyes lit up in understanding, "Oh this? This sword couldn't hurt anyone," he said, confidently. And incredibly enough, he offered her the hilt of the sword, inviting her to see for herself. It was becoming more and more clear to Kaoru that despite the man's proficiency at dodging, he seemed to be telling the truth. Not one to deny her curiosity, Kaoru drew the sword and immediately realized that the Rurouni was right. "The blade is on the wrong side!" she exclaimed in surprise. The man smiled, and it softened his sharp eyes. Kaoru realized with a jolt that he looked heartbreakingly beautiful.

"Could this sword kill anyone?" he asked, a little bit of rebuke in his tone.

Kaoru blushed, handing the sword back. "I suppose not," she said. Not only was the sword a Sakabato, but it barely had a scratch on it, as if it had never been used. Before anything else could be said, a police whistle sounded in the distance, and Kaoru pushed all thoughts of the mysterious swordsman out of her mind as she resumed her hunt for the elusive Hitokiri Battosai.

Left alone, the Rurouni gazed after the rude girl for a few moments before following.

* * *

Events proceeded very quickly after that chance encounter, and before she knew it, Kaoru was sitting on her front porch watching Himura Kenshin, the Rurouni who had been revealed as the real Hitokiri Battosai, hang up laundry to dry in the yard. It had been a few days since she had discovered the treachery of her father's old friend, Kohei, and subsequently almost been killed by the false Battosai, only to be saved by the Rurouni she had mistakenly attacked the night before. The knowledge that ten years ago he had been the Hitokiri Battosai of legend was a shock, but one she got over quickly. And when he made to disappear after ensuring her safety, she protested and impulsively offered him a place to stay at her dojo. At the time she had been half motivated by a crippling fear of being alone and the slight crush that had formed for the beautiful man who had saved her. But upon further reflection, she realized that the situation could have ended badly for her if Kenshin had ended up being an unsavory character. Luckily, his appearance hadn't been deceiving. In fact, ever since he had started living at the dojo, he had been doing more than his fair share of chores, though she was chagrinned to realize that he was more proficient than her at pretty much all of them, including cooking. Despite her self-consciousness, she was extremely grateful for the help. It would have been very difficult to keep the dojo going by herself, even if she didn't have any students.

Pushing away that depressing line of thought, Kaoru turned her attention back to Kenshin, who was now humming as he worked. She really didn't know anything about him. Kaoru wondered what his life was like and what made him give up killing. He really wasn't what came to mind when she thought of the legendary Hitokiri. Kenshin was so gentle and soft-spoken, he hardly seemed like a man let alone a ruthless killer. She still secretly doubted that he was twenty-eight years old and not nineteen!

Later that evening, she received a shock that put the discovery of Kenshin's past to shame.

She watched in admiration as Kenshin confidently stood in front of the corrupt police officer that had used innocents to provok the Rurouni into a fight, "Promise you will never again use your sword to menace these townspeople, then you can arrest me for carrying a sword and assaulting a police officer," Kenshin stated. It was obvious that the violent policeman was completely outclassed, but he seemed like the type of guy to lash out rather than think, and she was proven right when he recklessly charged forward and was put down in one move. The jubilant congratulations of the crowd was cut short when a man made himself known, his voice immediately catching Kenshin's attention when his name was called.

Kaoru recognized the man immediately as the rich man who had asked her directions to the police station. She tensed, thinking that he was there to arrest Kenshin. But Kenshin surprised her by smiling and addressing the man familiarly, "You've grown a mustache, Yamagata-san."

It took a second for the name to click, and Kaoru couldn't help but gape slightly at the general of the strongest unit in the Emperor's army. He didn't even spare her a glance, stepping forward and offering Kenshin his hand, "The carriage is waiting. Many from our unit have been waiting for your return to the lord's service."

Kaoru felt a pang of anxiety that was immediately quelled by Kenshin's slight shake of his head, even as he continued to smile. "Unfortunately, there's not one part of me that feels the slightest longing for the glorious work of the Hitokiri."

Yamagata balked in surprise, protesting that the killings of the Bakumatsu had been done in the name of freedom, and those that didn't agree weren't worth mentioning.

Kenshin just continued to smile slightly wistfully, "We Ishin Shishi didn't fight for positions of power or glory in the government. We fought for a world where people were free to pursue happiness. And in any case," Kenshin's voice sharpened as he gave Yamagata a meaningful look, "my other reason for refusing a position in the government has not changed. You know as well as I do that a woman could never openly hold one, and I find the thought of going back to the isolation of a secret weapon unappealing."

Kaoru, who had been following the exchange up until then with relief that Kenshin wasn't going to leave, gave Kenshin a confused look at that last statement. Did Kenshin have a girlfriend or a wife that he wanted to bring with him into the government? Her insides curdled a bit at the thought, but Yamagata seemed to be ready for this argument.

"Naturally, you wouldn't hold a position of government officially, but I have a few good men under my command and in command of other units in the army who would be honored to take the legendary Hitokiri Battosai as their wife. You would have to change your name and give up kenjutsu, but you deserve to be part of the government you helped establish. Words, not swords, are the weapon of choice in this new era. You should be where you can do the most good."

Kenshin closed her (HER?) eyes and an emotion flickered across her face, but Kaoru was too stunned to attempt to identify it. She must have made some sort of noise because Kenshin's eyes, large, violet, and soft in concern, snapped to her, and Kaoru wondered how she hadn't seen it before. Hadn't she thought Kenshin was beautiful from the very beginning? Not once in their few days of acquaintance had she ever attributed a masculine quality to her. In fact, she had spent some time sulking about the fact that Kenshin made a better housewife than she did! It was even obvious from her appearance! Looking at Kenshin in a new light, Kaoru took note of the details that she had ignored or dismissed. Kenshin had a willowy figure, and smooth, pale skin that contrasted beautifully with her strikingly red hair and amethyst eyes. Looking passed the ugly scar on her cheek, Kaoru realized that Kenshin's face was also very feminine with a small nose, pointed chin, and large eyes framed by long, dark eyelashes. How could Kaoru have missed it, especially when she was also a woman who practiced kenjutsu? But, she couldn't get passed her shock and realization to think of an answer, all she could do was choke out, "K-Kenshin…a woman? But how? Why?"

For her part, Kenshin blinked in surprise before realizing her mistake and bowing deeply, "I'm deeply sorry Kaoru-dono, but I had assumed you had known from the very beginning."

"How could I have possibly known that!?" Kaoru yelled, deciding that anger was a much easier emotion to deal with at the moment. Kenshin lifted enough out of the bow to meet Kaoru's eyes, and said a tad reproachfully, "Well, I never would have thought you would have invited me to live with you, an unmarried woman, if you hadn't known that I wasn't a man. Such a thing could ruin your reputation! You must remember your position as a woman!"

"You're one to talk!" Kaoru shot back, but she was blushing as her thoughts from that morning came back to her.

A huff of amusement interrupted their argument, and they both turned to Yamagata, who didn't seem offended at being ignored. Instead he looked from Kenshin to Kaoru with something like understanding in his gaze, "I see that you have made a friend Humura-san," turning to address Kaoru properly, he continued, "I'm terribly sorry for my rudeness. I have not introduced myself. I am Yamagata Aritomo, general in the Emperor's army."

Slightly flustered, Kaoru replied, "It's fine Yamagata-sama. I am Kamiya Kaoru. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Smiling for the first time since the start of the encounter, Yamagata turned back to Kenshin, "I'm sorry for coming here with my unreasonable requests. It seems as if you have made connections here that you do not want to sever. Just keep in mind that my offer will remain open if you ever feel the need to settle down."

Kenshin smiled, expressed her thanks, then took Kaoru's hand and led them back toward the dojo.

Kaoru couldn't help but think that she had missed something, but put it out of her mind to make way for the real issue. Kenshin squeezed her hand and gave Kaoru a smile as she said, "I can tell that you have a lot of questions. You don't have to be afraid. You can ask me anything."

A million questions were buzzing around in Kaoru's head, but the one that ended up bursting out of her was, "Isn't 'Kenshin' a boy's name?"

Kenshin huffed in amusement and replied, "Yes it is. My master changed my name when he began to teach me kenjutsu. He said that my original name was too soft for a swordsman, and I had no particular attachment to it."

Kaoru opened her mouth to ask, but Kenshin beat her to it, adding, "It was Seiko. I was originally named Himura Seiko."

Closing her mouth, Kaoru turned back to the road, pondering everything she had learned. Kenshin had let go of her hand and was now walking beside her, hands folded into her large sleeves. Kaoru still had so many things she wanted to ask her. Why did she decide to study kenjutsu? Why did she conceal her gender and join the army? Why did she dress and act like a boy even ten years after the Bakumatsu?

But, looking at Kenshin out of the corner of her eye, Kaoru couldn't bring herself to grill her new friend for information that she may not want to tell. So, instead Kaoru simply said, "I think 'Kenshin' suits you better."

Violet eyes slid to Kaoru's face then back to the front, and Kaoru knew she had said the right thing when Kenshin smiled. There was no rush. Kaoru's questions could wait for another day.

* * *

A week after Kaoru discovered Kenshin's secret, which wasn't really a secret, nothing had really changed, though Kaoru was less jealous of Kenshin's cooking. Kaoru had also forgiven herself a little for not realizing her house guest was a woman all along. Kenshin, despite her beauty, behaved like a man. She wore men's clothing, used the more direct men's language, and she walked with a certain self-assurance that she typically associated with men, though Kaoru was loathe to admit it. Then again, Kenshin had every right to be self assured. Every day after finishing her errands and chores, Kenshin practiced her kenjutsu for hours at a time, which was five times as much as Kaoru, who only practiced to stay in shape. A few days ago Kaoru asked Kenshin why she practiced so diligently when she was already so skilled. Kenshin had regarded her seriously and replied, "If I didn't look busy, you would probably assign me more housework Kaoru-dono." After fending off Kaoru's punches she gave a more serious answer. "It helps me clear my mind. Meditation alone hasn't worked for me in a long time."

Kenshin very rarely spoke of her past. But Kaoru felt that they were slowly growing closer. So, in commemoration of almost two weeks of friendship, and in thanks for all of the work Kenshin did around the dojo, Kaoru announced that she would repay Kenshin by teaching her the secret art of being a woman. Kenshin was less than enthused.

"I suppose…if you want I could try," Kenshin said, hesitantly, then brightened. "All I have to do is wear a kimono and uncomfortable shoes, right?"

Kaoru glared at Kenshin for her oversimplification, "It's not as easy as that! You have to use the right language! And do you even know how to wear a kimono? Have you ever worn one?"

Kenshin's eyes darkened with what Kaoru had begun to associate with bad memories, "Yes," she said distantly, "I've worn one." Then she snapped herself out of it and added, "And it was uncomfortable to say the least. How are you supposed to move in those things?"

"They're traditional! Besides, you're not supposed to move much in them. That's the whole point!"

"They're confining! They force you to take small steps, and the stupid shoes make it so that you trip over any irregularity in the ground. Why wear something that limits you so much physically?"

"They make girls look pretty!"

Kenshin cocked her head to the side curiously and asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Kaoru smacked herself on the forehead and groaned. Sometimes it was just so hard to talk to Kenshin. If it was anything kenjutsu or even politically related, Kenshin could go on for hours. But anything having to do with beautification or gossip, and she couldn't grasp the simplest concepts, like the fact that girls like to feel pretty! So many things that Kaoru had thought were innately known by every female on the planet had to be explained to Kenshin. Sometimes Kenshin seemed like a different species. Some sort of super-woman species that was clueless about clothes but monstrously skilled at kenjutsu. Actually, that would explain Kenshin's exotic features.

"You're thinking of something weird, aren't you." Kenshin said, suspiciously.

Pulled from her thoughts, Kaoru blushed and ignored the comment. "Kenshin, girls like to feel pretty."

"They do? Why?"

That's another thing, Kenshin sometimes referred to the female population as if she weren't one of them. Then again, with how ignorant she was of the simplest matters, maybe it was more true than not. Kaoru decided to try a different tact, "Haven't you ever wanted to impress someone?"

Kenshin adopted a thoughtful look, and Kaoru held her breath. "I…suppose so…" Kenshin said, though she sounded doubtful. "When I was younger I used to want to impress my master with my swordsmanship progress. Is that similar?"

Kaoru stared at Kenshin's hopeful expression and wanted to throw something at her. She really was hopeless, but maybe she could work with this. "I guess it could be similar. You wanted acknowledgment for your achievements, right?" Kenshin nodded hesitantly. Ignoring the lackluster response, Kaoru continued, liking her comparison, "Some girls work at their appearance the way that you work at kenjutsu. They study fashion and train themselves to be poised and elegant so that they'll catch the attention of a rich noble, or so that they do not embarrass their family or husband. Then there are women like me that are naturally poised and elegant, so they can focus on other things too, like kenjutsu."

Kenshin, who had been paying close attention to Kaoru's explanation, chuckled at the girl's vanity, then laughed outright as she half-heartedly fended off Kaoru's outraged retaliation.

* * *

A few days later, Kamiya Kasshin-ryu gained a new student, much to Kaoru's perpetual ire. Kenshin watched in amusement as the proud, young samurai had another explosive lesson with his temperamental sensei. They were good for each other. Kaoru needed a student truly devoted to learning the sword arts, and Yahiko needed to learn kenjutsu to settle his samurai blood. Kenshin was sure that after a few years under Kaoru's tutelage, the prickly young man would cool down a bit. Kenshin winced in sympathetic pain when Kaoru whacked her student over the head for a particularly offensive comment. Well, maybe.

That afternoon, Kaoru came out of the dojo brandishing a roll of silk and announcing that they were going out to eat in celebration of the money they would make from the painting. Yahiko made the expected sarcastic comment, and Kenshin smiled to herself as she walked in the wake of the bickering pair. Yahiko's arrival had provided a welcome distraction from Kaoru's strange obsession with getting her to "re-join the female race." While interchangeably amusing and confusing, sometimes Kaoru's determination to help became a little overwhelming. After over a decade of wandering alone, and the isolation of her Hitokiri status five years before that, Kenshin was finding it difficult to live with someone who actually knew and cared about her. But it was worth it, she thought as she looked fondly at her two housemates. She hadn't felt this at ease since Tomoe…but she didn't want to think about that.

Fortunately, they had arrived at their destination, and Kenshin was able to push the dark thoughts to the back of her mind, where they always threatened to swallow her up. Kaoru abandoned her argument with Yahiko to catch up with her friend, Tsume, as they were led to a free table. Doing their best to ignore the rowdy drunks in the booth across the aisle, the trio had a fun time enjoying the good food, and somehow Yahiko managed not to make a comment about Kaoru's cooking. About halfway through the meal, the argument in the opposite booth became a little more heated, and Kenshin heard the whistle of an object heading toward her. With the confidence that comes from practice, Kenshin reached back and snatched the saki bottle before it could make contact with her head. Glancing at the object in her hand, she had a strong sense of deja-vu from her master's idea of "spacial awareness training." While Kenshin took an impromptu trip down memory lane, something she had been indulging in a little to often of late, Yahiko and Kaoru had seen everything, and while Kaoru marveled at Kenshin's spacial awareness, Yahiko jumped to his feet in outrage.

"Hey!" He yelled at the drunks, "Watch where you're throwing things you damn drunks. You almost hit someone!"

Kenshin made a mental note to teach Yahiko the value of tact when dealing with drunks. Then again, Kenshin didn't have much room to judge. Just as she was about to intervene between the arrogant boy and the violent drunkards, a strange man stepped in front of her. The first thing she took note of was his prominent fighting chi. He was young, confident, and looking for a fight. But she was sure that he wasn't a threat to her or her new friends. His body language was focused on the men. Kenshin settled back into her seat.

After leading the men outside and an interesting display of strength, the man turned away from the fleeing drunkards with a sigh of disappointment. "I sold a boring fight," he muttered to himself before turning to address Kenshin with a smirk on his face. "Hey swordsman, I saw your blind catch with the sake bottle in there. Nice reflexes."

Kenshin tried out the demure smile Kaoru had been coaching to her. Somehow her smiles always ended up coldly confident, scornful, or arrogant. Judging by the look on Kaoru's face, she wasn't succeeding. Oh well, plan B. "It was nothing," Kenshin waved off the comment, "mostly luck. I happened to glance back at the right moment."

The man laughed and said with a touch of sarcasm, "Right," then gained new enthusiasm, "It's not every day that I see a woman wearing a katana openly." Kenshin didn't react to the comment beyond the quirk of an eyebrow, but Kaoru gaped openly, and Yahiko spluttered.

"Kenshin's not a girl!" Yahiko yelled, indignantly. Kenshin interrupted before Yahoko could get anymore worked up, "Actually Yahiko, you will find that I am indeed a girl." She couldn't decide if she was more amused or exasperated as Yahiko whipped around, completely forgetting the confused fighter. "What? No way" Yahiko squawked, and pointed at Kenshin accusatorially, "But you're strong! You're too strong to be a girl!"

Huffing, Kenshin decided that she was exasperated as she crossed her arms and eyed Yahiko sternly, "What does being strong have to do with my gender?"

Yahiko didn't seem to have heard the question, too busy mentally reliving the two times Kenshin had rescued him. He had seen Kenshin cut a shooting cannonball in two for crying out loud! He opened his mouth to perhaps say something that would have gotten him into trouble, but Kaoru took pity on the poor boy and dragged him away. After all, she still wanted to have a student at the end of the day, even if he was an annoying bugger.

Sano watched in amusement as the little comedy played out. He didn't blame the poor kid for making the mistake. But Sano prided his skills as a lady's man slightly less than his skills as a fighter. It was hard to tell under the gi, but that was definitely a woman. He was interested to hear that the kid hadn't known. It suggested that the swordsman hadn't been in town long, and yet the kid defended her like she was a close friend or family. Well, that aside, the important part of the kid's outburst was…,"So, you're pretty good with that sword then. Want to buy a fight from me?"

The redhead's eyes lit up, and she gave Sano a genuine smile. It was nothing like the forced attempt at a smile when he complemented her reflexes. Sano was taken aback at the way it softened her face, but shook it off as she replied, "Thank you, but I must decline. Perhaps another time?"

Sano shrugged, "Well if you change your mind buy one from me anytime. Later!" With that he strolled away,mentally mourning the fact that there didn't seem to be anyone strong to fight anymore.

Kaoru and Yahiko joined Kenshin as they watched the large symbol for evil on the man's back disappear into the crowd. Kenshin smiled to herself. She had the feeling they would meet again.

Two weeks later, she was proven right.

* * *

AN2 (Yeah, I know. I lied): This has been sitting in my computer for a while. I don't know if I want to continue it or not. It all depends on the response I get, so if you want more let me know!

For all of those out there waiting for me to update The Uchiha Connection, I'm sorry it's been so long. But I am going to continue the story. You might see a post in the next few days.


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